King Vulture

Q: What are the chances of seeing a King Vulture in Arenal Volcano National Park?

Rare. Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a King Vulture sighting in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, based on 688 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 204th most-seen of the 503 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a King Vulture in Arenal Volcano National Park?

February–April and September–November. In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a King Vulture in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–August and December–January, the lowest months.

Q: What time of day is best to see a King Vulture?

Between 9 am and noon. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most King Vulture sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is Arenal Volcano National Park the best place to see a King Vulture?

29th of 53. Of the 53 parks where we can rate King Vulture sightings, Arenal Volcano National Park ranks 29th at under 5%. The best odds are in Brownsberg Nature Park (Suriname, about 30%), Coiba National Park (Panama, about 30%) and Serra da Canastra National Park (Brazil, about 20%).

Q: Which relatives of the King Vulture live in Arenal Volcano National Park?

Same family: Cathartidae. The closest relatives of the King Vulture that you can see in Arenal Volcano National Park (family Cathartidae, New World Vultures) are Turkey Vulture (about 50%) and Black Vulture (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Q: Where does the King Vulture sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the King Vulture is recorded against all the birds logged in Arenal Volcano National Park (688 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

Sarcoramphus papa

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
FamilyCathartidae (New World Vultures)
GenusSarcoramphus
SpeciesSarcoramphus papa (King Vulture)

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

at Arenal Volcano National Park

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

688 Verified sightings at Arenal Volcano National Park From 2019 to 2026

8,549 In all 53 parks

September Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the King Vulture

The king vulture (Sarcoramphus papa) is a large bird found in Central and South America. It is a member of the New World vulture family Cathartidae. This vulture lives predominantly in tropical lowland forests stretching from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. It is the only surviving member of the genus Sarcoramphus, although fossil members are known.

Large and predominantly white, the king vulture has gray to black ruff, flight, and tail feathers. The head and neck are bald, with the skin color varying, including yellow, orange, blue, purple, and red. The king vulture has a noticeable orange fleshy caruncle on its beak. This vulture is a scavenger and it often makes the initial cut into a fresh carcass. It also displaces smaller New World vulture species from a carcass. King vultures have been known to live for up to 30 years in captivity.

King vultures were popular figures in the Mayan codices as well as in local folklore and medicine. Although currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, they are decreasing in number, due primarily to habitat loss. The king vulture was originally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives In captivity: 124 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Brownsberg Nature Park	🇸🇷 Suriname	~30%
2	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~30%
3	Serra da Canastra National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
4	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
5	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~20%
6	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~20%
7	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~20%
8	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	~20%
9	Amboró National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~20%
10	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
11	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~10%
12	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
13	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
14	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
15	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
16	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
17	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
18	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
19	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
20	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
21	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
22	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
23	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
24	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
25	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
26	Chapada dos Guimarães National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
27	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
28	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
29	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
30	Emas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
31	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
32	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
33	Itatiaia National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
34	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
35	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
36	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
37	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
38	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
39	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
40	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
41	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
42	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
43	Chapada Diamantina National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
44	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
45	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
46	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
47	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
48	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
49	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
50	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
51	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
52	Poás Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
53	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Disney's Animal Kingdom	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
2	San Diego Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
3	Pairi Daiza	🇧🇪 Belgium	In captivity
4	Prague Zoo	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
5	National Zoological Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
6	ZooParc de Beauval	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
7	Parque das Aves	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
8	North Carolina Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
9	Zoo Pilsen	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
10	Parc des oiseaux	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
11	Zoo Miami	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
12	African Lion Safari	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity
13	Bronx Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
14	Yumka'	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity
15	Zoological Garden of Belo Horizonte	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
16	Zoológico de Brasília	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
17	Curitiba Zoo	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
18	Chester Zoo	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
19	Parque y Zoológico Nacional Arquitecto Manuel Valverde Podestá	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	In captivity
20	Los Angeles Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
21	Dallas Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
22	National Zoological Garden of South Africa	🇿🇦 South Africa	In captivity
23	Phoenix Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
24	Wildlife World Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
25	São Paulo Zoo	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
26	Parque Municipal Summit	🇵🇦 Panama	In captivity
27	Africam Safari	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity
28	Xcaret	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity
29	Audubon Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
30	Parque Zoologico Guátika	🇨🇴 Colombia	In captivity
31	Zoológico de San Juan de Aragón	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity
32	Colchester Zoo	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
33	Berlin Zoological Garden	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
34	Zoológico de Goiânia	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
35	Temaikén	🇦🇷 Argentina	In captivity
36	Gramado Zoo	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
37	Brevard Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
38	Night Safari	🇸🇬 Singapore	In captivity
39	Parque Zoobotânico Getúlio Vargas	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
40	Tanganyika Wildlife Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
41	Dickerson Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
42	Fort Worth Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
43	Zoológico Benito Juárez	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity
44	Singapore Zoo	🇸🇬 Singapore	In captivity
45	Houston Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
46	San Antonio Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
47	Great Plains Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
48	Philadelphia Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
49	Potter Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
50	Honolulu Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity

Show all 50 Show fewer

Closest Relatives at Arenal Volcano National Park

Cathartes aura

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Coragyps atratus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Buteo nitidus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Elanoides forficatus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Leucopternis albicollis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Buteo platypterus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Spizaetus ornatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Buteo brachyurus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Rupornis magnirostris

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Spizaetus tyrannus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Leucopternis princeps

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Buteogallus urubitinga

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a King Vulture in Arenal Volcano National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a King Vulture sighting in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, based on 688 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 204th most-seen of the 503 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a King Vulture in Arenal Volcano National Park?

February–April and September–November

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a King Vulture in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–August and December–January, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a King Vulture?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most King Vulture sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Arenal Volcano National Park the best place to see a King Vulture?

29th of 53

Of the 53 parks where we can rate King Vulture sightings, Arenal Volcano National Park ranks 29th at under 5%. The best odds are in Brownsberg Nature Park (Suriname, about 30%), Coiba National Park (Panama, about 30%) and Serra da Canastra National Park (Brazil, about 20%).

Which relatives of the King Vulture live in Arenal Volcano National Park?

Same family: Cathartidae

The closest relatives of the King Vulture that you can see in Arenal Volcano National Park (family Cathartidae, New World Vultures) are Turkey Vulture (about 50%) and Black Vulture (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the King Vulture sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the King Vulture is recorded against all the birds logged in Arenal Volcano National Park (688 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Arenal Volcano National Park

King Vulture

About the King Vulture

Sounds

Recent sightings of King Vulture in Arenal Volcano National Park

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Arenal Volcano National Park

Turkey Vulture

Black Vulture

Gray-lined Hawk

American Swallow-tailed Kite

White Hawk

Broad-winged Hawk

Ornate Hawk-Eagle

Short-tailed Hawk

Roadside Hawk

Black Hawk-Eagle

Barred Hawk

Great Black-Hawk

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a King Vulture in Arenal Volcano National Park?

When is the best time to see a King Vulture in Arenal Volcano National Park?

What time of day is best to see a King Vulture?

Is Arenal Volcano National Park the best place to see a King Vulture?

Which relatives of the King Vulture live in Arenal Volcano National Park?

Where does the King Vulture sighting chance come from?